Braver, Stronger, Smarter
by The Hapless Quill
Summary: A collection of one-shots for the Guess Who? Competition.


This one-shot was written for the **Guess Who? Competition**. We were given several hints about a character in the series and were asked to write a story centred around our guess, including one prompt. My guess for this week was Lily Evans/Potter and I included the hint "Hey, we've been waiting for you". Enjoy!

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" _If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together … there is something that you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart … I'll always be with you"._

Lily Potter glanced up from the book in her hands to see that the baby inside the cot had drifted off to sleep. With a slight smile she closed the book and set it to her side, a finger gently brushing over the picture of the plump yellow bear etched across the cover. Snow drifted past the window, forming a blanket in the world outside.

Lily returned her gaze to the sleeping figure inside the cot, the tuft of black hair on his head lifting with each delicate breath. She reached out a hand and began to stroke the hair, the warmth of the baby's sleeping breaths drifting across her hand.

It was difficult to believe that outside of this room, where there was the peace of the sleeping baby, the memories of a Christmas spent with family and friends, and the low rumble of drunken adults merrily discussing Quidditch tactics in the room below, there was a world of murder and grief. It was difficult to believe that the day had been enjoyed without some of the closest people in Lily's life. A tear slipped down her cheek at the image of the laughing faces of the McKinnons and her Mother and Father, faces that she would never again get to see.

Lily moved her hand from Harry's hair to his tiny fist bundled in the blankets, covering it delicately with her own. It was remarkable that in a world of such torment the house was still filled with people who loved him. A smile passed over her face as she recalled the events of the day; the guests cheering as the Christmas dinner was served, Sirius accidentally setting the Christmas tree alight whilst trying to impress Harry with multi-coloured sparks from his wand, Alice and Frank laughing for the first time in months, and James twirling her around the living room when Remus was charmed to emit shrill Christmas carols each time he spoke.

Lily sighed and laid a kiss on Harry's bundled fist. "I don't think you realise just how special you are to everyone." She whispered, uncertain as to why it felt so important to articulate her thoughts to the sleeping baby beside her. "Everything was spiralling out of control before you came into the world; there were so many deaths and for a while it felt hopeless to continue fighting it. But then you came along, and there was hope again."

She paused, watching the snow building on the window ledge outside. "I wish you would be able to remember some of the people who would have loved and cared for you." She said. Another tear escaped down her cheek as she remembered Marlene's desire for a child and how ecstatic she had been when Lily had announced that she was pregnant with Harry. "The world can be a cruel place when it decides to take the people who are most loved away from us, but there are so many more sitting downstairs who will always love and cherish you." She continued in a whisper. "You have your Father and I, and then there's your Godfather Sirius, he'll most likely teach you how to do all of the things that we don't want you to. You also have your Uncles Remus and Peter, and Alice and Frank, and when you get to Hogwarts Dumbledore and Minerva will look after you. Minerva can be very strict but I promise you that she will protect you more fiercely than most of us."

"You've got that one right."

Lily started, wheeling around to see James leaning against the doorframe, looking as he always did that the gesture was completely effortless. "Hi" she smiled.

"Hey, we've been waiting for you." James moved into the room and grinned down at the sleeping baby. "He's had a busy first Christmas."

Lily nodded. "It's been a good day. I was reading him some of the books that Remus gave him for Christmas as he was drifting off to sleep." She indicated the book lying on the ground beside her. "My Mother used to read these to me when I was younger, you know, I'd almost forgotten about them until today."

James picked up the book and read the title with a frown. " _Winnie The Pooh?_ It sounds like something you'd find in a toilet".

Lily smothered her laughter behind her hand, conscious of Harry waking up and not being able to get him back to sleep as peacefully for another three hours. "They're muggle children stories about a bear and his friends who live in a hundred acre forest. I used to love them."

James kissed the top of her hair. "It's true what you said, you know."

"What did I say? A lot of things that I say are true".

James grinned. "Well I'm not denying that, but I meant about Harry having so many people who love him."

"You were listening the whole time?"

"Of course I was, I didn't become a Marauder without having an exceptional talent of being nosy".

"Well, I wouldn't call it talent".

They both laughed and looked down fearfully as Harry began to squirm. After a few seconds he sighed and resumed his peaceful slumber.

"It's incredible to think, really, that we produced something so perfect." Lily said. "Sometimes I wonder whether I'll ever want these dark times back when the war is over just so that we can re-visit this day, a Christmas with our family and friends finished with this perfect moment of our son asleep, safe, inside his cot. It'll be so much nicer than when he starts to develop an attitude and takes an interest in girls."

"Oh Merlin, must we think of that already?" James grumbled, and Lily grinned. He took her hand inside of his and rubbed it absent-mindedly. "I also can't wait for the future though." He said. "I can't wait for all of those quintessential factors about growing up, such as letting him climb on my shoulders when watching Quidditch games, and teaching him how to play Quidditch for himself, and telling him off for drinking too much firewhisky for the first time. Just think of when he goes to Hogwarts, and when he sends us the letter telling us that he's become a Gryffindor –"

"He might not be a Gryffindor." Lily reminded him.

James dismissed this fact with an airy wave of his hand. "Of course he's going to be in Gryffindor, but my point is that although we're enjoying him being this age when he's not attempting to scream his lungs out, we have the adventure of the future to look forward to."

Lily gave him a long and searching look , making James feel slightly apprehensive. "I love you." She finally whispered.

"I love you too."

They shared a kiss, and James broke away with a smile. "Come on, it's Christmas, and we'd better get back downstairs to our friends before Sirius opens that bottle of firewhisky we got him for Christmas. I'll feel cheated if I don't get at least a third of it".

Lily agreed and the pair of them walked out of the room. Before walking down the stairs, Lily directed her wand at the sundial above Harry's bed and the golden snitch at its centre began to glow, emitting a soothing tune. Then, quietly, she closed the door.

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 **A/N:** This scene was incredibly emotional to write, and I tried so many variations of it before I *thought* that it seemed satisfactory. Please let me know what you thought!

The story of _Winnie The Pooh_ and its accompanying quote in this scene are of course credited to the work of A.A. Milne, as are the characters of the Harry Potter series to JK Rowling.

Reviews are James living long enough to tell Harry off for drinking too much Firewhisky.


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